


Call Me By My Name

by astrangerenters



Category: Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato De
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-07 02:10:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1114278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrangerenters/pseuds/astrangerenters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This December would see Kageyama on his best behavior. Kageyama behaving as a butler ought to. It would be a very nice break, Reiko was sure of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Hosho Reiko was growing nervous. If they were going to make it to the airport in time, they had to leave in the next twenty minutes. However, the tree was still not to her satisfaction. When it came to holiday decorating Kageyama was no slouch, but he certainly could be stupid about the simplest of simple things.

Already that morning Reiko had found it necessary to yank a bunch of ornaments from where Kageyama had hung them, moving them to more prominent positions. The crystal goose figurine her cousin had given the family as a gift a few years back? Who cares? To the back of the tree it went. The handmade paper snowflake Reiko had made in school when she was eight? To the front where Papa could see it first thing. 

It was the first day of December, a traditionally important day in the Hosho house. The countdown to Santa-san's arrival officially began, and the big Christmas tree went up in the sitting room. The smaller tree and lights went up in the dining room. The exterior of the house was fully decked out, and Reiko hung her stocking with care by the fireplace.

Papa and Mama usually came home in time for Christmas Eve, but this year was a special year. Papa and Mama had decided to spend the entire month of December in Japan for once, and Reiko was definitely looking forward to it. For one, she missed her parents. Even though work kept her busy, she could only count on the occasional video chat or phone call with Mama and Papa. Now they'd be here for weeks. And for two, if her Papa was home, it meant Kageyama would have to curb his tongue.

In Reiko's opinion, Kageyama had grown increasingly lax as her parents spent more time away from home. Without her Papa to supervise, Kageyama indulged himself, criticizing Reiko's intelligence and making all of his nitpicky little comments and conclusions about her cases. Conclusions Reiko would have eventually come to if he only shut his mouth for a moment or twenty.

This December would see Kageyama on his best behavior. Kageyama behaving as a butler ought to. It would be a very nice break, Reiko was sure of it.

With a sigh, Reiko put another ornament (a smiling photo of herself in high school holding a candy cane) in a better place just as Kageyama brought a stepladder into the sitting room. He granted her one of his condescending smiles. "I apologize if my ornament placement was not to your satisfaction, my lady."

She rolled her eyes. The man simply had no sense for these things. "Hurry up, would you? Everything has to be perfect before Papa enters the house."

"I have been informed that the outdoor arrangements have been completed," Kageyama explained. "We need only finish this tree here." He moved to the open cardboard box on the sofa, pulling out a gold sparkling star. "I'll just put this in place, and we can leave."

"Absolutely not," Reiko insisted with a stomp of her foot.

He glanced at the lit-up tree once more, then raised an eyebrow. "Have I forgotten something else?"

She moved forward, snatching the star from his fingers. "I'm the only one qualified to place the star. It's my job."

"Ah," Kageyama replied. "My apologies."

You should be sorry, Reiko thought. Hmmph. The mere idea of Kageyama placing the most important ornament. What would Santa think when he came by, seeing a Kageyama-decorated tree with its poorly thought-out ornament arrangement? Horrible!

Kageyama got the stepladder into place, standing close by as Reiko climbed up. It was a wide, gorgeous ten-foot tree. Fake on account of her mother's allergies, but that meant no needles to clean, which made things a bit easier. The tree had been in the family since Reiko was a child. As she climbed the ladder, she fondly remembered her former butler, Karasawa, standing by every year while she placed the star. Karasawa always knew where the ornaments went.

She set the star atop the faux pine branch that stuck out of the top of the tree while Kageyama held the ladder steady. She admired her work, seeing how perfectly the star completed the tree.

"It looks crooked."

She looked down, seeing Kageyama scrutinizing her. "It is not crooked. Perhaps you ought to get your eyes checked, Kageyama. I'll not have you driving me around if your corrective lenses aren't actually correct. What if you crash us into a wall?"

He stepped back, taking another look. She could tell he was still doubtful, but Reiko knew that Kageyama enjoyed being difficult. But the clock was ticking, and it was no short drive to Narita Airport. "Very well, my lady. If you are satisfied, then the decorating is complete."

"Of course I'm satisfied," she replied, holding tight to the ladder as she made her way down. Perhaps a little too satisfied and a little too preoccupied with that satisfaction, because she managed to slip at the ladder's halfway mark.

She let out a shriek, and the ladder wobbled as she tried to regain her footing but it only propelled her backwards. She shut her eyes, expecting the whole ladder to tip into the tree and ruin everything she'd worked so hard that day to accomplish while she herself cracked her head open. But she was instead surprised to feel warmth, such warmth. It was Kageyama, catching hold of her as she fell without missing a beat. Kageyama wrapping his arms around her and setting her safely on the floor, a look of grave concern in his eyes.

"Are you all right, my lady?"

She was clinging to him in her fright, but now that she was once more on solid, non-laddery ground she hurriedly pulled away from him, straightening the hem on her dress.

Her pulse was racing and her skin was hot, but there was a plane to meet. She turned her back on her butler, turned her back on how oddly thrilling it had felt to fall right into his protective arms. It was just Kageyama doing his job, keeping her safe. Kageyama who couldn't even hang an ornament properly. Kageyama who would probably follow up his "are you all right, my lady?" with a "now who needs their eyes checked?" comment.

Without looking back at the tree or the stepladder, Reiko headed for the hall and her coat. "Hurry up, Kageyama. We're going to be late!"

\--

In the time it took to drive from Kunitachi to the airport, Inspector Kazamatsuri called her seven times. The first to ask where she was (it was her day off). The second to ask if she had filed a certain report (yes, she had filed it because he had been too lazy to do it himself). Calls three through six were questions regarding said report that he was supposed to know the answers to (Reiko suspected he was in a review meeting with their superiors). And call number seven involved a Sudoku puzzle he was stuck on.

If he called her again, she wouldn't know because she finally switched her phone off and shoved it to the very bottom of her bag. The limousine headed for the lot reserved for the private runway where the Hosho family plane would land. It was much quicker than dealing with the terminal, and she could already see the private jet with the Hosho Group crest heading off for its small hangar.

She and Kageyama headed for the private arrivals lounge, finding one other person waiting. He got to his feet, fixing Reiko with a smile immediately. She felt Kageyama step closer to her as the man approached. He was older than Kageyama, perhaps in his mid-thirties, with dark hair graying at the temples and a suit that fit him well but had seen better days. His eyes, however, seemed kind.

He held out his hand. "Hosho Reiko-san, I presume?"

Reiko was unaccustomed to shaking hands, holding hers out a bit shyly. The man reddened. "Ah, forgive me." Instead of giving hers a shake he took her hand and lifted it to his mouth, brushing a quick kiss to her knuckles. "Is that correct?"

It was then that Kageyama stepped forward. "Pardon me, but who are you?"

The man let Reiko's hand go, scratching at his head nervously. "Ah, I knew I was going to mess that up, sorry. Togashi Masahiko." He fumbled around inside his suit jacket, removing a business card and holding it out. It was Kageyama's hand that snatched it away, a bit ruder than Reiko felt was necessary. He then handed it to her.

 _Togashi Masahiko_ , the card read. _Togashi Family Publishing_.

"Your father asked me to come today," Togashi-san said, seeming to shrink under Kageyama's stare. 

"I wasn't informed of any such meetings. I am Kageyama, the Hosho family butler," he said curtly, bowing to Togashi-san.

"Hosho-san called from the plane. He said..."

But then the door leading out to the private hangars opened, and Reiko's eyes were drawn from the two men at her side to the man and woman coming through the door. They were tanned and relaxed, having spent the last two months in Bali. Their flight crew followed them in with their bags.

"Reiko-chan!" her mother cried, and Reiko hurried forward, enveloped immediately in her parents' embrace. Kageyama bowed low to her father, and Togashi-san nervously mimicked the pose.

"The whole house is decorated and waiting," Reiko boasted. "Let's hurry home!"

Where her father usually did immediately as she wished, he instead patted her shoulder and turned her around. "Masahiko-kun, you made it."

The man stepped forward and shook hands with her father. "Reiko," her father said. "May I introduce Togashi Family Publishing's Togashi Masahiko."

Introductions were made again, and this time her father explained that the Hosho Group was currently in negotiations with Togashi Family Publishing to buy up their operations and add them to the Hosho Group's publishing division. Now the man's presence made more sense. Her father never went through any sort of merger or acquisition without having the company's president over for dinner at the house. Reiko was a little upset at the timing, however. Tonight was supposed to be her night with her parents, the three of them together at the dining table after so many weeks. She maintained a polite smile, though she saw a bit of sympathy in Kageyama's face as her father chatted merrily with Togashi-san.

The interest in Togashi-san's company was fairly recent. Her father had only just begun the process a week earlier, which certainly explained Kageyama's ignorance of the subject. The Hosho Group's publishing division alone was made up of several companies, so many that Reiko had lost count. But she could still see that Kageyama was upset with himself for not knowing every last thing about his master's business. Perhaps her insistence on Christmas decor perfection the past few days had kept him from reading a memo or two.

The ride back to the house was a little more awkward than usual. Reiko didn't feel comfortable telling her parents about work with a stranger in the car, and most of the chatter occurred between her father and Togashi-san. Her mother gave her a sympathetic look, and she assumed the poor woman had spent the entire plane ride from Bali to Japan hearing about this business deal. Once her father had an acquisition in mind, it was all he talked about. Reiko preferred it when she was all he talked about.

She caught Kageyama's eye in the rearview mirror, seeing his gentle smile, and she suddenly felt a bit better.

\--

Thankfully upon arriving at the house, her father's attention returned to its proper place. "Reiko-chan, you have outdone yourself this year."

Between the small herd of real, live reindeer walking the Hosho family grounds and the snow machine in the rear gardens, the estate already looked like Christmas. Kageyama parked and held the door, and Reiko could see pure shock in Togashi-san's face as he exited the limo and took in the lights adorning the exterior of the house.

Reiko held her papa's arm as they headed inside, Kageyama swiftly ordering other staff about to bring in the master and mistress' things and to ensure dinner was ready for four. As Reiko had planned, the house smelled lightly of gingerbread and oranges, earning additional praise from her father.

Soon it was time for dinner, and Reiko happily relinquished her seat at the head of the table to her father, sitting at his left-hand side and her mother to the right. While it was most proper for Togashi-san to have a seat opposite her father at the other end of the table, somehow her father and mother had insisted that their guest be seated at Reiko's left.

She felt slightly self-conscious as the stranger took up knife and fork at her side, praising the house and the decorations and Reiko herself in a short amount of time. While Reiko expected such praise as a matter of courtesy, hearing it was another matter. With her parents away and work taking so much of her time, praise and compliments had become a rarity indeed. There was always Kazamatsuri-san treating her like his servant, spouting off his nonsense notions about their cases. There was always Kageyama, who withheld his praises like someone taunting a dog by holding a bone just out of reach. It had been some time since Reiko had been able to sit back and soak up flattering remarks, and she found herself much out of practice.

It didn't help that Kageyama, standing carefully out of her father's eyesight, allowed his nose to twitch in amusement at every remark coming from Togashi-san's mouth. "My lady Reiko, you are truly stunning to behold." Twitch. "How fortunate I am to sit beside a true lady tonight." Twitch.

Reiko, of course, was no fool. She suspected that Togashi-san's attentiveness to her was not entirely genuine. She noticed her father's smiles growing wider and wider the more Togashi-san complimented her. Hosho Seitaro had always considered Reiko to be his grandest achievement, and a man set to do business with her father would do well to compliment his daughter. But maybe, just maybe, there was an ounce of truth to the compliments. Perhaps this man did find her stunning to behold. 

As dinner went on and her father and Togashi-san spoke more about business, their guest revealed that Togashi Family Publishing had been operating since the turn of the twentieth century and he was proud to lead them. But independent companies were harder to manage these days, especially in publishing. With the Hosho Group's backing, his family's business would continue. His employees would be able to continue working and could support their families. He spoke plainly, passionately, and earnestly about his company. He took pride in his company as her father took in his. Reiko was certain this deal would go through.

It was when Kageyama brought out the dessert cart with her father's favorite cake that her mother went a step beyond her usual bounds.

"Togashi-san, are you married?"

Kageyama set down a plate of cake for her father, and Reiko noticed the slightest stiffness in his movements. Since Togashi-san had enjoyed a sampling from the Hosho family's wine cellar, he was not as uncomfortable with the question.

"I'm not," he said, dabbing at his mouth with his napkin.

Her mother accepted her plate of cake with a nod for Kageyama and a smile for her guest. "Perhaps you could bring Reiko-chan out for a bit of fun. She works hard and could probably use a break."

"That sounds like a great idea!" her father chimed in, patting her on the hand.

"I'd be honored," Togashi-san replied.

"How about it?" her mother pressed on, looking between Reiko and their guest. "Reiko, when's your next day off?"

"Mother," Reiko said, feeling all the eyes in the room on her and not for reasons that she preferred. 

She looked down, seeing the flash of Kageyama's hand and the sleeve of his jacket as her plate of cake (drizzled with raspberry sauce just the way she liked it) arrived. She'd been an heiress her entire life, a prize for any suitor, but her parents had never once tried to arrange or force anything. And that's what this was. A business deal and maybe more. Her parents' eyes had been sparkling and shining for Togashi-san all evening. With a month home in Japan away from their usual beach bliss, they needed another distraction, and their daughter's single status was it.

Not that Togashi-san was ugly or anything. He was a little older, certainly, but he seemed kind. He had a narrow, but handsome face with a pointed chin. He loved his work as Reiko loved her own (despite its Kazamatsuri-shaped difficulties). What was the harm?

"Would you like some raspberry sauce for your cake, sir?" Kageyama suddenly asked their guest, startling Reiko out of her thoughts. He was standing between Reiko and Togashi-san, grip firm on the spoon and sauce boat.

Togashi leaned forward, peeking around Kageyama to look at her. "Yes, please."

\--

Kageyama had been tasked with driving Togashi-san to his home in Ota Ward. She was finally able to chat alone with her parents, telling them about the cases she'd been working on. She was careful to talk up her own achievements and victories while politely acknowledging Kageyama's contributions. She knew her parents were wary about her career, but they never once told her to quit. They usually seemed rather pleased to know Kageyama was following her around and assisting, even though Reiko had been through the police academy and could take care of herself, thank you very much.

Her parents were tired from their long day of travel, even in the luxury of the Hosho family jet. They took one last adoring look at the tree Reiko had decorated ("Totally perfect!" her father had declared, finding nothing remotely crooked about the star at the top) before heading up to bed.

She sat alone in the sitting room, turning out the other lights and relaxing in the soft, warm glow of the tree's lights. The day certainly had not gone exactly to plan, but her parents were home and now Reiko was one day closer to Santa's arrival and his bounty of gifts. 

Kageyama came in a short time later, heading over to unplug the tree and turn off the magic for the night. "Wait," she called out in the darkness. He jumped, steadying himself against one of the side tables, and Reiko laughed.

"My lady, you startled me!"

She grinned. Spooking Kageyama was a rare accomplishment. "I'm sorry," she said, not that she sounded apologetic at all.

He dutifully left the tree lit up, moving to stand beside the couch where she was reclined, hugging a throw pillow. "I spoke with the master earlier, and he has requested waffles for tomorrow's breakfast. Shall I have anything else prepared for you, my lady?"

She fussed at him, batting him away with her hand. "Sit down and enjoy the tree."

He obeyed, taking a seat in the chair opposite the couch.

She hugged the pillow tighter. "Waffles will be fine. With extra whipped cream for mine and no extra for Papa. He needs to be careful with his sweets, doctor's orders."

They sat quietly for several moments, Reiko taking in the rainbow colors of the lights as they wrapped around from the thick base of the tree to its golden topper. Kageyama usually waited for her prompting to begin speaking, but she heard him rustle around in the pocket of his jacket.

"I have another card from Togashi-san," Kageyama noted quietly. "He has written his phone number and said if you are interested in meeting up for a coffee that he would enjoy it very much."

"He said that?"

"Yes."

"He said that to _you_?"

"Is the method of his communication displeasing to you?"

"Never mind, I don't know what I'm saying. I'm tired."

She squeezed the pillow, trying to ignore her strange feelings. The stepladder had been removed from the sitting room while she and Kageyama had gone to the airport, but she was preoccupied with what had happened on it earlier. Falling and then Kageyama so close, so unlike his usual polite, expected distance. His arms tight around her for what had only been seconds. Compared with Togashi-san's exaggerated dinner time flattery and her parents' meddling, Kageyama's impromptu rescue seemed all the more exciting. And genuine.

But why on earth did it excite her at all? It was Kageyama, whose job it was to keep her from falling off ladders. Whose job it was to escort her, serve her cake. Bring her business cards with the phone number of a potential date on them.

A date. How long had it been since Reiko had been on a proper date? Maybe that was the reason for her odd feelings. She'd been asked out a handful of times in the police academy, but fearing their discovery of who she truly was, she'd turned them down. No dates since university, then, and none of them had been princes or heirs apparent. So many had only been interested in one thing - not her beauty and charm, but her father's money. 

Wallowing was unbecoming of the heiress to the Hosho Group, so Reiko stopped her internal whining. She got to her feet, holding out her hand for the card. Kageyama handed it over, his fingers cool against her own. "Maybe I'll give him a call, maybe I won't," she decided. "But tomorrow it's back to work. I expect my breakfast to be right on time, Kageyama."

He nodded, getting to his feet and heading to unplug the tree. "With extra whipped cream, my lady."

\--

With her job, Reiko had an earlier start than her parents. They were just sitting down to breakfast when Kageyama had to excuse himself in order to drive her. Her father gave her a wink and told her to catch a dozen criminals and call it a day.

Well, upon her arrival at the Kunitachi station, she found that there weren't twelve criminals to catch. Not even half a dozen. It wasn't always a murder mystery, or even a mystery. Kunitachi had been surprisingly well-behaved the past few months. There'd only been two unexplained deaths in the whole of November, and Kageyama had been deprived of a chance to flex his crime-solving muscles. Their evening chats revolved more around what he'd served her for dinner and around Reiko's paperwork on smaller, easily-solved cases.

Not that Reiko was complaining. Not everything had to be so complex. It was about justice and ensuring it was served. While catching a murderer was a true accomplishment, there really wasn't anything bad about putting a thief behind bars. Reiko took pride in keeping Kunitachi safe from thieves and murderers and angry plotters alike. 

She also took pride in seeing Kageyama's gloomy face when he was once again denied the opportunity to show off.

At her desk that day and the day after and then the day after that, Reiko handled her reports and suspect interviews with skill and determination. She handled Kazamatsuri-san's blustering and blundering with patience. Her work life was normal as could be. But over those three days Togashi-san's card and phone number sat in her wallet, awaiting some sort of response. At dinner each night her father had other business ventures to discuss and fortunately the topic of Togashi-san did not come up. Nor did her mother press her, as she was now preoccupied with organizing a holiday luncheon for one of her charities.

Curiosity finally got the best of her. Curiosity and the reminder that she hadn't been on a date in years. After dinner she excused herself and headed for her room, pulling out her phone and the card. While Togashi-san had been polite and hadn't forced the issue, Reiko still felt odd being the one to call and begin the whole process properly. She wasn't used to being on this side of the equation, the pursuer and not the pursued.

Togashi-san answered on the second ring and thankfully took over from there. Instead of coffee, he made the leap and asked her to dinner at a restaurant in Daikanyama. Reiko paused to consider the offer. She rarely missed dinners at home on account of how delicious they were. Kageyama, and Karasawa before him, always presented them to her perfectly. Even when she pulled a long night at the station, Kageyama was always there to offer a late meal at home or to bundle it up and bring it to her in person, sneaking around so nobody saw him. It almost felt like an insult to skip out on it, but she shook her head. How silly. Kageyama wouldn't mind if she missed one meal. And he had her parents to account for either way, which had added to his duties considerably this month. She would be doing him a favor.

"I can have Kageyama drop me off," she said cheerfully. 

"Oh no, please allow me to pick you up myself."

Reiko paused again. To spurn a meal and an escorted ride in one fell swoop? Oh Reiko, he's your butler. It's his job to do those things and do them well. It was a testament to Kageyama's excellent service that she was hesitant, and that was all there was to it.

"Very well. My next day off is Saturday. Come at 7:00 PM."

"I look forward to speaking with you again, my lady."

"You may call me by my name, if you wish."

"Of course. Reiko-san then. I will see you Saturday."

She stared at her phone for a few moments after the call ended, gathering her resolve. She headed back downstairs, just in time to find Kageyama pouring coffee for her parents in the sitting room.

"Papa, Togashi Masahiko-san is taking me to dinner on Saturday night. I thought you'd like to be aware of it, considering your arrangements with him."

Her parents exchanged what could only be described as a gleeful look. Her mother turned a page in the novel she was reading, smiling warmly. "I'm sure it'll be a lovely time, Reiko."

She turned, hoping to address Kageyama and inform him that she wouldn't require his assistance on Saturday, but he had his back to her, adding sugar to her mother's coffee cup. He was taking far longer than it seemed to require, but neither of her parents noticed. 

Reiko stood her ground anyhow, turning up her nose. "Togashi-san is picking me up at 7:00. Kageyama, see to it that the dress I set out tonight is back from the dry cleaners in time."

He still didn't look directly at her, bringing the coffee cup and saucer over to her mother. "Of course, my lady," he said in reply. "I'll take it in first thing tomorrow."

She almost wanted to scream "why won't you look at me?" but how on earth would her parents react? They only knew a Reiko who was sweet and charming and diligent, not a scold. And was Kageyama pouting about this? She was free to date as she wished. She simply hadn't done so since he'd been in her family's employ, but surely the concept of his lady seeing a man wasn't so foreign to him. One day she'd get married, for goodness sake. He'd definitely have to get used to that!

By now he was busying himself with some of the Christmas figurines she'd laid out on the mantelpiece, straightening things he probably saw as crooked but weren't. She fumed, appalled at his lack of attention or interest in her life. Perhaps he would only take an interest if he knew that her date was a murderer, and he could swoop in to explain all the details of the man's crimes. 

She bid her parents a good night, receiving smiles. She bid Kageyama a good night, and he continued straightening figurines, acknowledging her only with a nod of his head. Reiko found herself slamming her bedroom door upon her return upstairs. She perused her closet in a huff, looking for the perfect dress and draping it over the chair at her vanity table for Kageyama to bring in the following day.

Reiko went to bed slightly confused and mostly angry, drifting off to sleep with the sight of Kageyama's back in her mind, dreaming of him refusing to turn around ever again.

\--

As Saturday drew nearer, Reiko's panic about her date rose. She was perfectly socially competent at her job, at speaking with other detectives and with the forensics team and with witnesses or suspects. She was perfectly well-adjusted at home, with the staff and with the person she spent most of her time with, Kageyama. But Togashi-san was in a wholly different category. She couldn't exactly talk crime in Kunitachi with him. What would he care about petty theft or arguments between neighbors?

She recalled again that she hadn't been on a real date since university and most of those had been with a group. Where Reiko had seen through their greed, their indifference to who she was other than her father's daughter. Fools, all of them. So while she hated to admit it, this was a topic she had very little practical knowledge of.

With her status and job, she was lacking in constant female friends. She met up with her schoolmates on occasion, but she was too embarrassed to admit her failure in the dating scene. And it wasn't failure, not really! It was...inexperience. Her career had simply come first. And speaking of her career, she definitely didn't need people at work speculating about her love life or lack thereof. She couldn't speak to the women she worked with - the two she saw day in and day out spent most of their time fawning over Kazamatsuri-san and his pompous stupidity, so what did they really know about men anyhow?

On Friday, she and Kazamatsuri-san were investigating a robbery at a convenience store, scrutinizing footage from the store cameras. As they left, Reiko hauling a bag of store tape copies while Inspector Kazamatsuri carried only his car keys, she spotted the magazine rack near the front of the store. She told him that she'd meet up with him back at the station.

As soon as he was gone, tearing away in his poorly-built, gas-guzzling Kazamatsuri Motors convertible, she went through the women's magazines, desperate for answers. She bit her lip, going from magazine to magazine. It was all a bit beyond the basics Reiko required. " _You've got him...now keep him!_ " " _101 dishes to keep his stomach full and his heart all yours!_ " " _The best new techniques that'll drive him wild!_ "

She blushed, shoving the magazines back in the rack. 

By the time she was home that evening, her dress was back from the dry cleaners and her parents had gone out for dinner with some of the board members of the Hosho Group. That left her alone at the head of the dining room table as Kageyama wheeled in the dinner cart.

He set a bowl of soup before her, reaching for the corkscrew to open a bottle of red wine. With her parents at home and no murders to solve, Kageyama seemed almost distant. There was none of his usual teasing, little of his usual good humor. He picked her up and drove her to work diligently as always, but he bordered on cold.

"Tonight is a pan-seared veal chop with a thyme au jus and asparagus in a balsamic butter sauce," he explained just as the cork popped from the wine bottle. "I hope it will be to your liking, my lady."

She brought her soup spoon to her lips, savoring the first taste. If the soup was anything to go on, the main course would be divine. "I am certain it will be very good, Kageyama."

He poured a glass for her, setting it before her and standing by. For months now it had just been the two of them in this dining room every night, Reiko grumbling over cases and Kageyama waiting for just the right cue to say something condescending. This evening she had nothing case-wise to grumble over, and her attempts to chat about the weather and then about the Christmas list her father assured her was already in Santa's hands received only short, polite responses. Who was this robot in Kageyama's tuxedo and where had her sharp-tongued butler gone?

When he brought around a small dish of lemon sorbet for dessert and didn't even speak, Reiko decided she'd finally had it.

She smacked her hands on the tablecloth, nearly toppling her wine glass. Her parents weren't here, so she could behave as she wished, ladylike or no.

"Alright, Kageyama, who robbed the convenience store?"

"My lady?"

She looked at him, narrowing her eyes as he finally looked her way, his face confused by her sudden outburst. "You heard me," she snapped at him. "I know you were hiding somewhere, skulking about. So who robbed the store?"

"I would have to view the tape to confirm my suspicions," he replied, using his finger to push his glasses up his nose. "But given the lack of witnesses, the time of the incident, and the general shiftiness of the manager, I'd say the manager himself is the thief and hopes to get away with it by playing the victim. It is my theory that he's been skimming for months to fulfill a debt of some kind. A secretive repositioning of the in-store cameras should reveal his deceitful ways if he tries it again."

She crossed her arms, foregoing proper posture to sulk. "You know all that. You've got all that figured out, huh?"

"It was pretty obvious..."

"Kageyama, I need you to date me."

He was midway through arranging her finished plates on the dinner tray, and he nearly dropped one. "I'm sorry?"

"Not for real," she said, knowing very well that he'd heard her question perfectly. The convenience store tack had only been to loosen his tongue (though most likely he was right). "I have this dinner tomorrow, and it has been quite some time since I've been in this situation so I'd appreciate your cooperation. You read your manga and things, you know what to say and what to do, I'm sure. We'll practice, you and I, so that I can be a most charming companion tomorrow night."

"The master would most certainly not approve of this scenario," he said a bit sharply, attempting to shut her down.

"The master is not at home this evening," she shot back. "So right now I am in charge here."

Reiko got to her feet before Kageyama could even assist with her chair. She abandoned the dining room and headed for the sitting room. By the time the confused butler had caught up with her she was pushing around chairs and an end table, arranging it to appear like a more intimate dining set-up than her own dining room allowed for.

"There," she said as he entered the room, gesturing at her arrangement. "We'll practice here."

"My lady..."

"I have instructed Togashi-san to call me by my name. You will do the same."

"I will not," Kageyama argued, tugging on his jacket and looking rather uncomfortable. "It is unthinkable and disrespectful to you."

She put her hands on her hips. "You are disrespectful to me all the time, Kageyama!"

He frowned at her, weighing the situation before him. Her father would not be home for hours, so what did it matter? And it was just practice so she didn't come across as overly formal or informal with Togashi-san. She didn't dare say anything that might compromise his business deal with the Hosho Group. She had to be more perfect than usual, couldn't Kageyama see her dilemma?

She sat down in the chair, gesturing for him to sit opposite her. "You are the only person who can help me," she pleaded, a bit ashamed at the truth of it. "Please?"

In seconds he'd seated himself, looking a bit less annoyed. "Very well. If I can be of help to you..."

"Good." She scrutinized him a bit, the proper way he was seated with his hands in his lap, the seriousness of his expression. He wouldn't be much fun on a date. Did Kageyama even date? "Remove your glasses. Then you will remind me less of who you are."

"My lady..."

She scowled at him. "Kageyama, do as I say."

He took his glasses off and set them aside, meeting her eyes again. It was odd, but she hardly ever saw him without them. There was no denying that Kageyama was handsome (at least until he began speaking and ruined the effect entirely), but without his glasses he seemed almost a different man. The glasses gave him a sharp, calculating air. Without them, his eyes were more noticeable, a calm brown. The balance of his face was totally different, softer even. He was...he was...

"My lady, perhaps during your meal you and Togashi-san could talk about his business more? About the books he is publishing?"

She blinked, catching herself before her staring grew awkward. "Yes, yes, that's a good idea. Books are a safe subject."

"And you could follow up with mention of some of your favorites from the library here," Kageyama continued.

"Very well, excellent," she said, already feeling more comfortable. She had ideas now, ways of easing into a relaxed conversation with Togashi-san. "What have you been reading lately?" she asked, tilting her head and attempting to look enthralled.

Kageyama's acting needed some work, because the first thing he began chattering about was some new manga about a magical girl and her friends and their various powers. Before he could explain what the fourth and newest member of the magical girl squad contributed, Reiko interrupted.

"I highly doubt Togashi-san is going to talk about manga."

"My lady, I can only speak to what I know..."

"Call me by my name."

He frowned at her once more. "How often do you expect him to address you by name during the meal?"

"I don't know," she protested. "I just want to hear you say it." 

No longer hidden behind his wire frames, she saw Kageyama's eyes widen at her comment, and she realized how her words may have sounded. She was so used to "my lady" from him and the staff and "Hosho-kun" at the station that her actual name seemed almost foreign, an intimate pair of syllables she usually only heard from her parents these days. Asking it of Kageyama, who was forbidden to use it because of his station, was rather cruel.

She refused to apologize, clearing her throat. "Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. This is only a first date."

Kageyama visibly relaxed at being let off the hook. They spoke instead about books for another hour until their pretend date was interrupted. It was her father asking to be picked up earlier than arranged since he had just organized a round of golf with an early start the following morning. Reiko frowned at the swift end to her rehearsal. She'd been chatting about her favorite books in the library, and Kageyama seemed to instinctively know what they were before she said them. The flow of their conversation had been so comfortable she'd almost forgotten that he was playing a role at her insistence.

Before he left, Kageyama found her where he'd left her in the sitting room to take her father's call. He was back in his glasses and his coat, pulling on his gloves.

"I'm sure you and Togashi-san will have no trouble finding something to talk about," he said, looking over in her direction. "Is there anything else you need before I go?"

She wanted to continue their conversation. Not as Reiko and Togashi-san, but as Reiko and Kageyama. She wanted to know what else he knew about her reading preferences and how he knew them so well. Instead she turned up her nose. "Go on, don't be late picking up Papa. If he has an early tee time, he'll need plenty of rest."

"Of course. Good night," Kageyama said, inclining his head before departing.

\--

It had been strange to sit in the front seat of a car. She was used to the comforts the limousine afforded her, especially the ability to take a nap as needed. But Reiko was as far from a nap as she could get. Togashi-san had been a real gentleman, coming into the house to exchange pleasantries with her parents before escorting her to the car. He'd held her door and adjusted the car's temperature to her liking. Although he was the president of his company, Togashi-san drove a small sedan. Perhaps he lived simply. With the Hosho Group's backing his situation would definitely improve, Reiko was certain of it.

Their dinner took place at a charming, but simple restaurant in Daikanyama specializing in hotpot offerings. Perfect for the chilly weather, although she had definitely overdressed for the occasion, spying other customers in more casual clothes, even jeans. But the food was excellent, and Togashi-san eagerly took her up on a conversation about books. Unlike Kageyama and his manga, Togashi Family Publishing focused mainly on technical manuals. Reiko could barely understand the topics, but Togashi-san was so passionate about his business that she didn't mind that much.

Everything went far more smoothly than Reiko had anticipated. At least until the bill arrived. The waiter looked embarrassed when he returned with Togashi-san's credit card in hand. He lowered his voice, sounding apologetic as he told Togashi-san his card had been declined. Reiko looked away, not wanting to see Togashi-san's shamed face. She heard him rustle through his wallet, murmuring to himself as he handed over another card. This one was accepted, and the dinner ended on a strange note. How poorly off was Togashi Family Publishing that its president could barely afford to treat someone to a meal?

They were fairly quiet on the drive back from the center of Tokyo to Kunitachi. All she could think to talk about was herself, and did Togashi-san really need a reminder of her wealth and privilege? He asked her how the reindeer were doing on the estate, and she was pleased with the topic. The reindeer were the absolute cutest, she informed him. Perhaps on par with Santa's own team.

"Santa huh?" Togashi-san asked, sounding amused as they pulled into the driveway.

"What's so funny about Santa-san?" Reiko asked. "He'll find our house easily. With the reindeer and all the lights. Papa has assured me of it."

Her companion chuckled to himself. "You are a very cute person, Reiko-san."

She wasn't sure if he was being complimentary or patronizing so she said nothing in reply as Togashi-san turned off the car and came around to open the door. But before she could step out, he was leaning against the car, barring her exit. 

"Would you see me again? Barring my inconvenience at dinner, I had a nice time with you. Let me take you out again."

She blushed at his closeness. Reiko wasn't certain what she felt for Togashi-san. He was nice, but she wasn't all that attracted to him. And it wasn't because his credit card had been declined; she wasn't that shallow of course. She didn't want to be rude, and she didn't want to insult him. Once the deal with her father was confirmed, perhaps she could ask to remain friends. But for now, she would agree. If anything, it would give her more practice for dating in the future. When she found someone that made her stomach twist and turn with nervous delight rather than someone who sounded so cynical about Santa Claus.

"Sure," she replied. "Let's set something up again sometime."

"Well, how about on Christmas Eve?" he asked, still not budging from his place beside the car.

Her stomach twisted and turned, and not in the way she hoped. Not only was it a very romantic day, but if she was out and about late on Christmas Eve...

"I'm sure that will be fine," she said anyhow as he took her hand and helped her from the car. 

"Great, I look forward to it."

He leaned over and surprised her by pressing a quick kiss to her cheek just as the front door opened. Kageyama was there, bowing, and she stepped aside. She was getting the impression that Togashi-san liked her a great deal more than she liked him, and her cheeks burned at the sight of Kageyama waiting for her. Togashi-san waved to him, and he inclined his head. Kageyama had clearly seen what had just happened. Would he tell Papa? What did he think?

"Well, good night!"

And like that Togashi-san was in the car, turning the engine back on. Reiko clutched her handbag, shivering a bit in the cold as she walked to the door. Kageyama's face was rather blank. She expected some sort of tease or a joke, but he offered neither.

"Welcome home, my lady," he said, standing aside to let her in.

"He's asked me to see him on Christmas Eve," she said as he shut the door behind her.

Kageyama said nothing, twisting the locks. She stood there in her coat, inhaling and exhaling the soothing gingerbread-orange combination. Wasn't he going to say something? It was Christmas Eve after all. When he turned around, he seemed surprised that she was still standing there, that she hadn't shoved her coat at him to put away.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

She hesitated, trying to act as though nothing was amiss. "Oh, it's just...I've always been so busy on Christmas Eve. Police work. School. Parties with my parents. I can't recall going on a Christmas date before."

He waited for her.

"Reiko?" came her father's voice from the library. "Reiko, have you come home, sweetheart?"

She lowered her voice, patting Kageyama's sleeve. "I will need more practice. I'm counting on you, Kageyama," she said quietly before turning her back and calling out to her father.


	2. Chapter 2

It seemed that Togashi-san's friendliness toward her was impacting her father's business decisions greatly. The week after her date found Hosho Group's publishing division paying visits to Togashi Family Publishing, meeting with the staff. The deal would likely be finalized just before her father left for his next vacation.

To avoid thinking about her Christmas date and what it might entail, she flung herself wholeheartedly into work. She spent hours out of the house, following up with any case she could get her hands on. A home robbery where a vintage guitar had been the only thing taken. Neighbors with competing Christmas displays that were routinely causing blackouts on their street. She even tagged along with the parking meter enforcement team until they politely noted that they could cover more ground without her trying to arrest violators.

Togashi-san started sending her daily emails, detailing how excited he was for their Christmas Eve together. They'd go look at Christmas light displays and then for a drive. On one evening a few days before Christmas Eve she was tired, but she slid across the seat to peer over the divider between the rear of the limo and the driver's section where Kageyama was seated.

"Togashi-san is taking me on a drive," she informed him. "Can we practice that?"

They were stuck in traffic, Kageyama tapping his hands on the steering wheel in his boredom. "What is there to practice, my lady?"

"Sitting in the front," she replied, poking him on the shoulder. "I found it difficult to relax in his car last time. I was unaccustomed to it."

And Reiko wasn't stupid. A driving date, at least in television dramas and movies she'd seen, often led to parking somewhere. Conversations in darkness. With her dinner date, she'd had the food and Togashi-san's business to speak about and the table between them, but what if he wanted to hold hands this time? Or more? And what if she didn't want that? How could she turn him down gently without hurting his feelings?

"It's not safe right now," Kageyama said. "Let me pull off at the next exit."

Reiko was pleased with this, and as soon as Kageyama had pulled into a parking lot she opened her own door quickly, hurrying to the front and settling herself in. It was totally strange, sitting up front with Kageyama. He turned to look at her. "I require my glasses to drive," he informed her. "I will not take them off for this...practice session."

"Oh fine," she said with a wave of her hand. "Now drive."

Instead of heading back towards home and the traffic mess, he headed in the opposite direction. In Togashi-san's car he'd had the radio off, had stolen glances at her during red lights that made her nervous. Kageyama, however, turned on some classical music that instantly relaxed her. Of course, she was used to being in a car with Kageyama. But the music was helpful. Maybe she'd request that Togashi-san put something on that would fill in any gaps when they weren't talking.

Kageyama asked her about work, not taking his eyes from the road and not driving too fast or too slow. Unlike the tinted windows in the rear that afforded her privacy, she glanced out the front, seeing the highway signs go by, the other cars. She had to admit that she was always comfortable with Kageyama, never felt safer. Much as he could annoy her, her father had done well to name him as Karasawa's replacement.

"Maybe we should park."

"Park the car? Would you prefer to go home now?"

"No," she said nervously. "We should just park."

"Very well."

They ended up in a less than scenic, empty parking lot near a high school. Kageyama turned off the car lights but left the engine and heat running. They sat side by side quietly for a few moments. 

"Maybe...maybe if we took off our seatbelts?" she wondered, hearing the soft click as Kageyama did as told and she did the same.

It was usually easy to talk to Kageyama, but now that they were here in the dark it seemed different. At home, even when they were alone, it had never felt like this. This was secret, something between the two of them that had nothing to do with solving a mystery. She could hear him breathing beside her, leaning his elbow against the door awaiting her next instructions in this odd date dress rehearsal. A date, Reiko knew, she wasn't even all that excited about. But it was somehow exciting here, sitting at Kageyama's side instead of in the rear of the vehicle.

She turned to look at him from the corner of her eye as the lights from the street cast them both in shadow. She could see the angle of his jaw, the curve of his nose. All the Kageyama features she was used to. She was suddenly struck with the memory from the day her father had come home, the way he'd helped her when she'd fallen. The way he'd held her close. Out of necessity of course. Kageyama was always proper in that respect.

But he'd changed these past few weeks. In fact he'd changed quite a bit since that day, had retreated from his usual teasing. Perhaps it was because of her father. Perhaps he was frightened of appearing overly familiar with his master's daughter. Certainly her father didn't have a problem with them being friends. Kageyama had nothing to fear unless he...

Unless he... 

The thought sent a jolt through her. It was her stomach, turning and twisting. Her heart, pounding. Her mind, whirring. All of the sensations that Togashi-san, even with his goodbye kiss, had failed to bring about in her.

She looked over at Kageyama again in her surprise. Same jaw, same nose. Same glasses, same hair. Same bow tie and behind those lips that same poison-tipped tongue ready to disarm her at a moment's notice. It was obvious that he cared about her, and she had come to care for him a great deal since his arrival in spite of his bouts of rudeness. But what was going on here? What was she even thinking? What was she even considering?

"Do you wish for me to suggest a topic of conversation, my lady? Would that help?"

She glanced away from him instantly, spying herself in the side mirror attached to the car door. Glasses, ponytail, rumpled suit from work. She was tired, and perhaps that was why she was allowing her mind to wander to such odd topics.

"Kageyama, I..."

"...yes?"

She pressed forward. "Kageyama, I had a good enough time with Togashi-san but I've found that I have no attraction to him whatsoever. However, I've agreed to this second date as a gesture of goodwill and in the event that maybe I'll change my mind about my feelings and of course, because he and my father are in the middle of negotiations, and I would be a very bad daughter indeed if any hasty decision on my part caused problems for the merger."

He interrupted her there. "My lady, has Togashi-san stepped over his boundaries with you? Is he pressing you to date him?"

"Oh no," she replied, waving her hands frantically. "No, not at all I just...I just..."

"I highly doubt he would be so deeply offended by your turning him down to break off negotiations with the Hosho Group," Kageyama continued. "It is Togashi Family Publishing that benefits the most from this deal, after all."

"Yes, of course, I'm well aware of that..."

"Excuse my reach," Kageyama said then, moving for the car's glove compartment. He pulled out an envelope that was inside, shutting it up again. "I was going to bring this before your father this evening, but perhaps I should tell you first."

She stared at him, at the envelope in his hands. He slipped out of his gloves, opening the manila file. "Tell me what?"

"Of course the Hosho Group is performing its own investigation into Togashi Family Publishing, but the master requested I look into Togashi-san himself."

"Papa had you spy on him!" Reiko exclaimed, suddenly feeling ashamed. It was a business deal, and even though her father had had Togashi-san in his home, he could still do something like this.

Kageyama had no apology for that, handing over the envelope. She opened it, glancing at a handful of financial documents as well as some photos of Togashi entering a bank. "Togashi Family Publishing is heavily in debt, and the Hosho Group would absorb it in order to take on the company. The reason for that debt is mostly Togashi-san himself. He takes money from the company and has been depositing small sums in an account weekly and has for the past several years."

She looked at the photographs. "Where does the money go?" Togashi-san had been so proud of his business, of carrying on the family's name, of his employees. "He's not stealing from them, he couldn't be."

"I was unable to trace the money from there without committing a crime," he explained. "And the master would not allow it. I have only this evidence of Togashi Family Publishing money being funneled into a private account owned by Togashi Masahiko. The master has a right to know that he would likely continue doing the same with Hosho Group funds after the merger."

But he couldn't be a thief. He couldn't be stealing from his own company. Surely he'd drive a better car. Surely his credit card wouldn't be rejected at a restaurant. There had to be another explanation. Reiko wasn't attracted to Togashi-san, but she wanted to clear his name. She knew this wasn't what it looked like.

Her mind was in disorder. About Togashi-san, about her father, about Kageyama. Kageyama...

She turned the envelope over in her fingers. "With the way you've presented this evidence, it certainly makes Togashi-san appear suspicious."

"My lady?"

"You've been rude to him from the start. You were impolite at the airport, you served him last at dinner that night even though he was a guest. You immediately jump to conclusions, assuming that my discomfort in dating him stems from him acting inappropriately. You even spied on us when we returned from our first date, watching from the doorway."

"I never spied on you during your personal time, my lady. Not ever!"

She plowed right over him. "How convenient that this evidence against him has arrived, sitting right here in the glove compartment! How convenient when the deal is about to be wrapped up and my Christmas date is almost here. You...you would ruin this man's reputation in my father's eyes because...because...well, because you are simply jealous!"

Kageyama was staring at her, completely at a loss.

"Tell me that's not a factor, Kageyama," she snapped at him. "Tell me to my face that it isn't."

This was where he was supposed to lean forward. This was where he was supposed to smirk and let loose, to get in her face and act as usual. "Are you blind?" he was supposed to say. "This evidence is irrefutable. Even an imbecile could see that. There's no jealousy on my part because I am merely your butler. There's no jealousy because I do not have those kinds of feelings for you."

She waited for it. Waited with dread for the confirmation, for the verbal slap. For the world to right itself, the world where he really was just a butler and she his lady. The world where she didn't want him to take off his glasses like he had that night in the sitting room, to lean forward and let her hear the sound of her name on his lips for the first time.

It didn't come. He only sat still, keeping his proper distance. More distance than he'd ever shown her. "I was following the master's orders."

"Take me home," she said flatly, thrusting the envelope at him and opening the door. 

Once she was seated in the back of the limo again, he turned the car on and for the first time, Reiko pressed the button to put up the divider glass between the driver's section and herself.

\--

The envelope of evidence against Togashi-san was in her bag. At some point during the night, Kageyama had slipped it under her bedroom door. Though he was under her father's orders, it seemed that he was allowing her time to investigate on her own. He would disobey, he would stall so that she could ask Togashi-san about the money herself.

She was grateful for it, but it was certainly making even more of a mess of her feelings. One moment the night before she'd been staring at him, wondering if there was the potential for something more between them and the next he was shoving evidence of embezzlement in her hands, turning Togashi-san into a petty criminal. 

Even Kazamatsuri-san could tell that she was bundled in knots of confusion, handing her one of the coffees his female minions had brought to the crime scene that morning. It had been a hit and run. The victim, an antique car worth millions of yen. As they stood in the cold together, the forensics team was pulling paint from the fleeing car off the heavily damaged antique's bumper while they waited to see if there had been any CCTV cameras pointed this way at the time of the incident.

Of course the coffee he'd handed her had been sitting out for some time and tasted horrible while he drank a fresh, piping hot one, but she sipped it without complaint. "Ah, Hosho-kun, it's a shame. Now had it been a vehicle made by the fine men and women of Kazamatsuri Motors, there'd be far less damage, wouldn't you agree?"

"I wouldn't agree," she mumbled to herself.

"What was that?"

"Oh look, that man out walking his dog. Perhaps he witnessed it," she said, pulling her notepad from her coat pocket and wandering away from him.

It was mid-afternoon when she couldn't take much more of the situation and found herself dialing Togashi-san's number. She asked to move their driving date up, to that very evening. He agreed readily and eagerly, and Reiko felt guilty leading him on. But he would clear his name. He would explain everything, she was certain of it. Date arranged, she called Kageyama.

"I won't be needing a ride this evening. I'm seeing Togashi-san."

"I understand."

Do you _really_ , she wanted to ask him, but she was in the squad room going through witness statements and didn't need to let anyone overhear her. "Please let Papa and Mama know where I'll be. I don't expect to be home that late."

"As you wish. I will wait up for you."

"That isn't necessary..."

"It is my job."

With that all too blunt reminder of who and what he was to her, she hung up on him.

\--

Togashi-san had just gotten into the car and was turning the key in the ignition when Reiko pulled the envelope from her purse. It wasn't fair to make him take her for a meal or anything and then accuse him of wrongdoing. It wasn't right.

She hadn't even stopped home to change. She'd had him pick her up a block from the station so none of her coworkers saw, and he seemed a little nervous about her professional appearance - glasses, suit, serious expression. "Some questions have arisen about you, Togashi-san," Reiko said as calmly as she could manage. "About your company's finances. I would rather know the truth of it from you directly. The Hosho Group will be my responsibility one day, as you surely know."

He opened the envelope dutifully, frowning at the photographs and papers within. 

"You've withheld information from my father. It is not my place to question the way he does business or investigates pending partnerships, but you must admit this is suspicious. My father is a forgiving man if people are upfront and honest with him. Would you explain this?"

He slipped the papers back inside the envelope and handed it to her. "I'll show you. And I'll come clean to Seitaro-san. I was actually going to...I...I just haven't found the right time for a meeting. He's so busy..."

That much Reiko knew. Even with this pending acquisition the Hosho Group was always looking for new opportunities as well as maintaining the many businesses it already operated. Her father may have spent most of the year out of the country, but he was always working hard. "Well, tell me the truth and I'll get you your meeting with him. That's a promise."

Instead of dinner and a drive, the car was silent. No music, no chatting. They took the highway south, arriving at a children's hospital in Kawasaki. She thought she might have seen a tear escape the corner of Togashi-san's eye, but when he came around to open her door his face was calm.

He led her inside, signing the visitor registry and heading up to the fourth floor. At the end of the hall was a room for Togashi Masaharu. There was a glass window on the wall allowing those in the hall to see inside. Within she could see a small boy asleep in a bed. There were numerous machines around the room, the harshness of them softened a bit by numerous bouquets of flowers, teddy bears, and action figurines. This boy wasn't a temporary visitor. He was a permanent resident.

They remained in the hall, Togashi-san with his hand pressed to the glass. "My son."

Reiko remained quiet, allowing Togashi-san to explain in his own time.

"His mother and I are no longer together. I want you to know that, Reiko-san, that I wasn't playing you false. And as to the money, well, as you can see, Masa stays here. He needs a brand new heart, and he's on the list but he's too unwell to come home. They can monitor him here, but it's no small expense, you see." Togashi-san wiped his eyes. "Ah, forgive me. I love my company very much, I love its legacy. But what does the legacy mean if my son doesn't carry on the business? So yes, I have used company funds to give Masa a fighting chance. It's shameful, stealing from my employees and my company's future, but there is no future without Masa."

Reiko could barely hold back tears of her own. "I'll get you your meeting, Togashi-san."

He looked at her gratefully, but there was something in his eyes that showed understanding. "I am thinking that our Christmas Eve plans are canceled."

She watched the boy in the bed, watched him fight. "I think that your place on Christmas Eve is here, wouldn't you say?"

He squeezed her shoulder, looking grateful. "Thank you, Reiko-san. For giving me a chance."

\--

She sat up with her father until well after midnight, explaining the situation. She laid out all the documents and photographs that Kageyama had prepared and then went on to detail her night with Togashi-san and the truth behind his company's debts.

Her father squeezed her hand. "He was dishonest with his employees. The Hosho Group is about trust."

She could see that he still had something to say, and she squeezed his hand in return.

"But the Hosho Group is also a family. A very large, diversified, multi-national family," her father said with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm proud of you, Reiko. For seeing to the heart of the matter."

"You'll continue with the acquisition?"

He got to his feet, patting the top of her head. "I will call Masahiko-kun first thing tomorrow." He looked to the doorway. "Ah, Kageyama-kun, there you are."

Reiko turned, seeing the butler standing in the doorway. Just how long had he been there, watching them? Her father stepped away, giving Kageyama a firm thump on the back. "Let's have waffles again tomorrow, hmm? With a dollop of whipped cream as big as my fist!"

"Of course, master. Pleasant dreams to you."

They were left alone once more in the sitting room, the tree aglow behind her as she heard her father's footsteps retreat down the hallway.

She crossed her arms, gesturing with her chin to the documents laid out on the coffee table. "I've solved the mystery."

"As expected of you," Kageyama said, inclining his head politely. "Togashi-san's thievery was no mere thievery, was it?"

"Of course it wasn't," she snapped at him. 

He watched her expectantly, even though he ought to have been apologizing for getting her so upset. He was lucky she hadn't told her father about his behavior. And that was, of course, when Reiko remembered just what accusation she'd leveled at him the night before. That his thorough detective work and witch hunt investigation of Togashi-san was out of jealousy. Because his feelings went beyond that of a butler for his charge.

What did he feel about her? Would he deny it and slip further away from her? When her parents left, would things return to how they'd been or would he retreat? She realized how badly she wanted answers from him, and it scared her. With Togashi-san, the matter had simply been unfamiliarity, the unknown that came from dating someone she'd only just met. But with Kageyama he was all too familiar. His presence by her side, his devotion. She wasn't sure she could make do without him. She'd be falling off ladders all the time.

What were these feelings she was having for him all of a sudden? How long had they been there, lying dormant under layers and layers of denial and her position above him and worst of all, his constant smugness? There was obviously a man before her, a man who cared for her. A man she cared for in return, but was she confusing her reliance on him for love? Was she confusing his loyalty for love?

"You still seem troubled," he said quietly, putting aside his usual attitude for compassion. "Shall I run you a bath? Put on a movie for you?"

"I no longer have plans for Christmas Eve," she announced, straightening her glasses. "Which is a good thing, as I'll be able to be home to set out cookies for Santa-san and will be snug in bed when he arrives with my gifts."

"I am sorry things did not work out for you with Togashi-san, but I know how important timeliness is to you on Christmas Eve," he replied diplomatically.

"I was wondering, Kageyama..."

"Hmm?"

"Papa and Mama have the Holiday Ball at Hosho Group headquarters with the shareholders that night," she said, as calmly as she could. "Are you busy then?"

He stiffened a bit. Oh, of course, Reiko thought. He'd probably made a stupid bargain again with that bakery owner and would be stuck outside selling Christmas cakes until he was blue in the face. Or maybe he had a date. A proper date with a maid from another household or some fanatic from one of his creepy online manga message boards.

"Actually, my lady, I was planning to polish the silver that night." He raised an eyebrow. "A task that could be postponed, if necessary."

"I thought maybe we could go for a drive."

He nodded. "If that is your wish, I'd be happy to escort you..."

"Not...not that kind of drive," she mumbled, wishing he wouldn't be so purposefully quiet, so intentionally dense and unwilling to volunteer his own feelings. When it came to her job, he was always too quick to make his opinion known. He was leaving her to stumble through this more personal business awkwardly and alone. "A drive where I don't nap in the back of the car. A drive where we sit together and you want to be there as much as I do."

"Oh," he said, face falling. "I see."

She took a step forward, clenching her fists a bit to keep the panic in her from rising. Maybe she'd read him entirely wrong all along. Maybe her new and developing feelings were woefully one-sided. "That isn't something you'd want then? You can be honest with me. I have no power to fire you when Papa is at home and in charge."

"I don't think your father would like us to take that sort of drive together," he replied.

She kept walking forward until he was trapped between her and the doorframe. She looked up at him. "I didn't ask what my father would think. I asked what you think."

He peered down at her, smirking. "It's an awful waste of a limousine if there's no one sitting in the back."

She scowled. "That's what you think? Your honest, genuine opinion?"

"It is _one_ of my honest, genuine opinions."

She poked him in the chest with her finger. "Would you care to express another? A yes or no, perhaps?"

At that, he grinned widely.

\--

They dropped her mother and father off at the banquet hall. It was not an awful waste of a limousine in the slightest, as Reiko had spent the drive over seated in the rear with them. But as soon as they had waved their goodbyes and shouted their "Merry Christmas!" wishes, Kageyama had promptly exited the vehicle and opened her door.

"Kageyama," she announced. "There is an awful draft back here. Perhaps I should sit in front closer to the main heater."

"Perhaps you should, my lady."

He held out his hand to help her as she stepped out, dressed in her emerald green coat and red mittens. He ushered her quickly around the car and got her settled in the seat beside his before joining her. She took the mittens off as soon as they were on their way, relaxing when Kageyama settled the radio on a classical station.

Just the other day, the Hosho Group had officially announced its acquisition of Togashi Family Publishing, a company specializing in technical manual production, an area of publishing where the Hosho Group was lacking. Unofficially, in addition to the acquisition, medical bills for one Togashi Masaharu-kun were found to be paid in full not at his current hospital but in a top of the line hospital under the Hosho Group. The boy had just been moved into his new, larger room that morning, and Reiko had received an ecstatic call from the boy's father.

"They say a new procedure and medications could reduce Masa's urgent need for a transplant. That he could be much healthier and stronger by the time it's his turn on the transplant list. My ex-wife and I could never have afforded it." Togashi-san had been openly weeping, and Reiko had barely held it together on the call. "It is all truly thanks to you, Reiko-san. Thank you for your kindness."

The phone call had put her in fine spirits and from the looks of it, Kageyama too. They drove along the highway, heading for a popular holiday light display in Tokyo Midtown. They parked and let the lights draw them in. As expected, the illumination displays were swarming with couples and families, and she kept close to Kageyama's side. They turned a corner and to avoid bumping someone, Reiko slipped closer still.

He looked down, worry in his eyes, as she took hold of his arm. "So you don't lose me," she explained, thankful for the chill in the air to excuse the growing pink flush to her cheeks.

They wandered around for quite a while, taking in the blue and white glow of the lights, slowed by the crush of the crowd. But Kageyama was warm and steady, pointing out the displays and of course, taking time to ruin the magic by pointing out a random burnt out bulb the staff was quickly fixing in one area. Reiko was certain that the Hosho house had the best light display and the best holiday spirit in all of Japan, but this was a close second.

Perhaps it was the holiday. Perhaps it was the throng of people all around them with arms around each other or holding hands. But Reiko hadn't been so happy in quite a while. On December 1st she'd have never considered spending December 24th alone with Kageyama. And yet it seemed perfect, holding onto him a little tighter with each pretty, colorful grouping of lights they passed.

They eventually reached the end of the displays, and she made to withdraw from Kageyama's grasp to save him from any awkwardness. But he only let her get so far, holding tight to her mittened hand as they headed back for the parking lot.

"So I don't lose you, of course," he replied airily, even as the tips of his ears turned red. She squeezed his hand and was pleased when he squeezed back.

They took to the road again, this time driving out to Tokyo Bay. Kageyama parked the limo strategically across the bay from Odaiba and the holiday lights across the water there. From the front seat of the car, Reiko had the perfect view, unbuckling her seatbelt and slouching down a bit in her seat. Kageyama unbuckled his, but maintained his posture.

"Merry Christmas," she announced, grinning from ear to ear.

"Merry Christmas, my lady," Kageyama replied.

She turned to him, eyebrow raised. "You have no surprises in the glove compartment, I hope? We can have an evening without a mystery to attend to?"

He smiled. "Mystery-free, to my utter disappointment."

"I'm sure," she replied. 

It was perfect. The parking spot, the lights across the bay, the company. The clock on the dashboard read 8:00 PM, giving them at least a few hours before they had to return home to get the cookie plate for Santa-san ready. Reiko had spent the past several days rehearsing an accusatory speech, wherein she would call Kageyama out on his jealous behavior, demand to know his true feelings for her, and if they matched hers, she would require him to take on a brand new task: the role of dutiful boyfriend. With dates and gifts and perhaps even some of the things suggested in the women's magazines.

But sitting here now, completely relaxed and comfortable, she wasn't so sure it was the right tone to take with him. When Reiko entered attack mode, Kageyama had a skill for entering his own attack mode. "Are you stupid? The master would not allow such a thing." "Are you stupid? The master would fire me." Somehow all of it would begin with an "Are you stupid?" comment and Reiko would end up raging mad, which would put a damper on her holiday cheer.

Instead she decided to enter a far different attack mode. Subtle attack mode.

"Ah Kageyama," she mumbled, shivering a bit. "It's a little chilly in here."

"My apologies," he said immediately, fingers heading for the dial on the heater. "Forgive me for not noticing sooner..."

She struck her own red mittened hand out before he could adjust the dial. "Maybe the seat warmer on this side isn't working at one hundred percent. Maybe if I just..."

She scooted, his arm seeming to naturally rise as she moved to her left across the seat. His arm hovered awkwardly before coming down to rest on the back of the seat behind her. With no warning, she leaned against him, head coming to rest against his shoulder.

"Oh, this is much warmer." And truthfully it was. She was pressed against his dark wool coat, feeling his body heat. It was a bold move, but it was still technically subtle attack mode. She'd yet to demand he confess his feelings. Kageyama didn't seem to know what to do. It was fulfilling her wish to be warm, so if he moved away from her, he'd be in trouble. But of course, what was a proper butler to do when his lady snuggled so close?

She grinned wickedly. "Actually, there's still a bit of a chill on my shoulder..."

Reiko heard a bit of a grumble emerge from Kageyama's mouth, now much closer than she realized. She had only to look up and he had only to look down and then they might...they could...

Soon his hand had moved from the back of the seat to come around her shoulder. "Is this better?" he asked quietly.

"Much."

She had accomplished this much in so short a time, getting him to put his arm around her. But even with his obvious confusion, he was steady and constant. His hand didn't quiver but held her firmly. And she was comfortable with him, more than she'd imagined possible when taking such a massive leap forward in their relationship. Even if she'd mostly tricked him into doing it, she'd yet to hear him say no that night.

But still her heart was pounding. If anyone walked by, they'd be totally convinced they were a couple. 

Was it improper? Reiko had had days to ponder the repercussions of it. Would it compromise his duties if their relationship changed? She was in a position of authority over him, and he was paid by her father to look after her. It was not even ground. And Reiko was an heiress. Was it not shameful to date so far beneath herself?

Her conclusion was thus: it was the twenty-first century. Reiko already stepped outside the expected bounds of what an heiress could or could not do. She was a detective, and a good one. Most heiresses didn't even work, and she'd chosen one of the most dangerous career paths possible! So if she could do all that with her father's blessing, then why couldn't she love the person she wanted? 

And as for Kageyama, he was the best butler the world had to offer. She doubted that the quality of his work would suffer, and even if he chose to resign, it was unlikely to stop him from nosing his way into her cases. Butler bow-tie or no, she doubted he'd ever leave her side so long as there were mysteries to solve in Kunitachi.

See, she'd reasoned everything out. Logically. Analytically. Thoroughly. Kageyama certainly couldn't fault her for that. 

The only thing she needed now was confirmation that her feelings were returned. 

She waited a few moments, staring out across the water and enjoying the simple feeling of Kageyama's arm around her. Knowing how safe she felt. Knowing how much she liked him, even when he infuriated her. Because he knew her, understood her. And in helping and supporting her, he brought out the very best in her.

Finally she turned a bit, tilting her head up. He was so close now. So perfectly close.

"Kageyama."

He didn't look her way. "Yes, my lady? Are you properly warmed now?"

"I think that my lips are cold."

She saw a flash of panic on his face, but she removed her mitten and boldly reached for him. Her fingers skimmed along his cheek before coming to rest at the corner of his mouth. 

"It seems, Kageyama, that you are also a bit cold there."

"I should bring you home."

"You should do no such thing," she insisted quietly, slowly tracing along his chin, seeing his Adam's apple bob in his throat in his seeming distress. "But I don't want you to catch a chill."

"I am not catching a chill."

She frowned. "You have no wish to kiss me?"

"My lady..."

She pushed her shoulder against him, nudging him hard. "None of that. It is a yes or no type of situation we're in here. My father does not enter into this, your job does not enter into this..."

Finally he looked down at her in exasperation. "Are you blind? My job always enters into this."

"If you truly believed that, you would not still be holding me like this." She poked his cheek. "We wouldn't even be here alone like this if you believed that."

He sighed. "My personal feelings do not matter. I have a duty to you..."

"Yes, yes," she complained. "And don't I know it! Insult after insult to my intelligence and still I put up with you."

At that, he allowed himself a tiny smile before growing a bit more solemn. "It is not my place to be self-indulgent where you are concerned."

"Then it is, in fact, something you want?" she asked him, her hope returning. He was silent and a bit embarrassed, and she smiled brightly. She gave him another poke in the cheek. "Aha! You do, Kageyama! You do want it!"

"You are putting words in my mouth..."

"If it is something you want and it is most certainly something I want, then what is the problem? You ought to be honored, Kageyama, knowing an heiress such as myself could have anyone I wanted and instead I have selected you." 

She lifted her hand, sliding his glasses off to hold in her lap. There he was now, unable to hide.

"It is Christmas, Kageyama," she said, looking into his eyes. "We should all get what we wish for on Christmas, shouldn't we?"

The hand at her shoulder grasped tighter, and he drew her closer against him. She closed her eyes, soon feeling his breath against her face. It was his voice, then, closer than it had ever been before. "You'll stop at nothing, my lady. It is what I've always liked about you most."

She was only able to let out the first syllable of his name before his lips found hers. She discovered that they were not cold at all, but soft and warm. She had expected it to shock her, to overwhelm her, and yet it didn't. Like most things Kageyama did, it was simply perfect. 

He made to pull away, but now that he'd done it the first time, Reiko wished for a second time. And for many more times after. She fumbled for the lapel of his coat, giving it a tug to bring him back to her. She kissed him back this time, letting out a soft sigh as she clung to his coat. The hand that wasn't around her found her face, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek.

A few minutes later, Reiko stopped to take a breath. She was flushed from head to toe, grinning. "Perhaps now you could call me by my own name for once?"

He looked at her with such warmth, with such genuine affection that she thought she would burst. "Is my lady stupid? Allow me something to wish for next Christmas."

She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling her stupid butler back to her. She was kissing Kageyama. Kageyama was kissing her. Forgive me, Santa-san, she thought, but I've already received the best present. 

\--

It was cold, but Reiko insisted on standing by the fence as the Hosho family's private jet departed the gate and prepared for take-off. January would find her Papa and Mama in Brazil, enjoying the sunshine and beaches of Rio. Of course, there was the Hosho Group's Latin America headquarters there as well.

She waved at the plane, knowing her father and mother were waving from their end as well. It had been a quiet, lovely Christmas, and she'd received a ton of perfect presents. None, though, could compare to her perfect Christmas Eve. They hadn't told her parents. Kageyama had been walking on eggshells the past week, almost as though he expected her father to figure it out and kill him.

She'd tell Papa sooner or later, but for now she liked the air of mystery. To keep the rest of the house staff in the dark, she treated Kageyama the same as she always had, and he didn't hesitate to criticize her. After all, he wouldn't be Kageyama if he wasn't being obnoxious and rude from time to time. 

But then she'd catch his eye from across the room, thinking himself hidden behind the relative safety of his glasses. And she'd know. She'd know.

The plane made its final checks before the engines noisily kicked on. Reiko waved harder as the plane raced down the runway, lifting up and into the cloudy winter sky.

Kageyama was already holding the door of the limousine. The front passenger door. They'd stop sometime before arriving home, and Reiko would return to the back seat to keep up appearances, but for now her place was up front. She got in and buckled her seat belt, smiling when the driver's side opened.

He started putting on his own seat belt and turned the key in the ignition, and Reiko cleared her throat.

"My lady?" he asked airily, adjusting the dials on the heater to warm the vehicle up again. "Is something the matter?"

"He can't see you. They're already thousands of feet in the air," she said.

"The master has sharp eyesight," he replied, turning to her. "Better safe than sorry."

She pouted. "My lips are cold, Kageyama!"

"Are they, my lady? How dreadful."

Pigheaded as always, Reiko heard him chuckling at her outrage. But not for much longer. She grabbed him suddenly, his elbow whacking the steering wheel and sounding the limo's horn as she pulled him close. Her mouth found his, his arms came around her, and she had no more complaints to make.


End file.
